Develop Bugs

Should I root my Pixel XL

I'm interested but don't know anything. What are the benefits? Like why should I root and why I shouldn't. My Pixel has been nothing but reliable and just want to know if i'm getting the full potential or if i'm missing out on something. Someone shine some light

im12whatisthis said:
I'm interested but don't know anything. What are the benefits? Like why should I root and why I shouldn't. My Pixel has been nothing but reliable and just want to know if i'm getting the full potential or if i'm missing out on something. Someone shine some light
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just google it and you will find the answer it's very simple.

Rooting in my opinion is only worth it if you want to tinker around with the Android OS. Having root provides the user with much more control over their device. Everything from theming (substratum theme engine which requires root) to flashing custom roms (which typically have cool mods cooked right into the firmware).
Root also provides the user to use custom kernels which allows the user to tweak all sorts of the phones "under the hood performance" like CPU voltages or the screen's color saturation and hue.
In my opinion the most popular adblocker, AdAway, requires root access. Titanium backup, the only app I use to backup my data also requires root.
Before you decide to hook your phone up to your pc and begin the journey into rooting and flashing I highly suggest you read many of the guides in the guide section of this forum. XDA is an amazing resource for people like yourself. Read, read and read some more.

I can't live without root. But it's kinda for tech junkies. I use root for setting up custom gestures with gmd gestures. Allows me to add multifinger gestures like 3 finger swipe down to go home, 3 finger swipe up for recent apps, and 3 finger swipe left and right for next app/previous app. Also allows my launcher (Nova launcher) to do a special screen lock that's root only. Some people use it for back up and restoring apps with titanium backup. Someone above mentioned allowing tweaking if under the hood options with a custom kernel like modifying voltage the cpu draws but my stock kernel settings work fine out the box. I think the last thing I use it for us to limit the number of recent apps with the app recently

I use to root all my device, but lately I feel like there is less and less that I am getting out of root. I don't think Xposed worked in 7 and pretty sure it's not out for 8 yet. In fact the only reason I have root right now is I got switched from my 6p to the XL and the dual speaker root mod took sound(audio and notifications) from below average to average, at least for my ears.

I used to root every device before i had a pixel xl, now i don't feel the need to root. I do miss adaway to block ads, but thats about it. Its all about preference i think. Root and try it out, if you like it, keep it, and if you don't, you can always go back. Make sure you read the guides to root a pixel xl though. Dont want to end with a bricked device.

You should only root it if you have an idea on what you hope to accomplish with it, so the best thing to do is research root for your device. Back in the day I rooted my phones religiously, my S3, S5, Note 4 were all rooted almost instantly. With my OG Pixel XL there were a lot fewer reasons to root as a lot of the reasons to root have been natively built into the OS over time.
I rooted my Pixel XL for adblocking, and lucky patcher. Of course there are many more reasons to do so if they fit what you want to do.

+1 for GMD Gesture Control, I can't live without it. The power of it is not with the default gestures that come with it but the ability to create your own that can start from any zone or edge of the screen. I've got around 50 gestures set up (a bunch of which launch from the edge and are mirrored for either edge so I can use the phone one handed with either left or right hand).
Viper4Android's my other must have app, as is Titanium Backup.

AdAway, TB, and Root Explorer are my primary reasons for root. I have a few other root aps that are more of a habit now than a need for me after years of rooting everything I have ever owned. If there were an equally effective non-root alternative to AdAway and I had to buy a device that couldn't be rooted, I might have to deal with it for the right price vs. performance vs. convenience of not keeping up with what is becoming a constant struggle with the Pixel. My son is due for a new tablet (for his birthday next month) and I haven't even looked into the root options yet of the couple of devices I am considering. That would have been step number one until last fall when I got the PIxel and Pixel XL.

New to Pixel and Android

First Android device, coming from Apple. What do I need to do/know?

That you've made the right decision.
No really, what exactly do you want to know? You got a highly customizable device now

i Am new to all this tech, not sure what I can/want to do. I have seen a lot of talk about root and bootloader. Not sure if I will ever use root, should I still unlock bootloader? If I unlock bootloader what does it effect? Does it disable any functions that of the device? Looking for any advice or help.

E_TV said:
i Am new to all this tech, not sure what I can/want to do. I have seen a lot of talk about root and bootloader. Not sure if I will ever use root, should I still unlock bootloader? If I unlock bootloader what does it effect? Does it disable any functions that of the device? Looking for any advice or help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't unlock bootloader unless you root. You do miss out on some apps with unlocked bootloader as that causes SafetyNet to fail which some apps require passing. That'd be some banking apps, Android Pay, Netflix (last I heard), Pokemon Go, and others.

I would say at least have the option checked in Developer option.
You don't have to unlock it but it is always good practice to have it checked.
And what exactly do you want to do with your phone? like customization is pretty nice without root currently.
You will need to ask what you want to try to do since there is soo much you can really do on android.

My wife is an iPhone devotee and so I'm her default IT support person and as a result I'm very familiar with iOS and it's severely limited abilities.
The single biggest, and best, difference you'll discover is the ability to fully customize almost anything on the phone. Notifications indicators are alway visible at the top of the screen. You can place an app icon anywhere on the screen you want vs. iOS's infuriating mandatory top-left to bottom-right arrangement (ever have an adorable picture of your kid that you can see cause you can't move icons around?). Real widgets that range from daily schedule to weather to, well, just about anything and they can be placed anywhere on the screen and sized as needed (what iOS calls widgets are a joke). App settings are accessible from within every app so you don't have to, say, exit your calendar, go to settings, find the app settings item, make your change, and then go back to your calendar. Android let's you track battery usage in detail, either within Settings or via 3rd party apps (GSam is great for this). I mean it goes on and on and on with the central theme being: Android invests the user with much more control and personalization and Apple clamps the OS down to the point where 1) they all look the same (boring), and 2) they make it impossible for people to take a peek under the hood (every try to figure out why your battery drain is suddenly worse?).
By buying the Pixel, as opposed to any of the other Android brands, you are buying a device that is unencumbered by endless, basically useless, marketing-driven, whizz-bang features like Samsung's old "gestures" or poorly implemented iris or face-scanning that can fooled with a photo, etc..
Pixel's follow the Apple model (one of the few really good things about iOS) of owning both the hardware design AND the OS so you get regular updates directly from Google. On other devices, there are layers of software riding between you and the OS (so-called "Skins" and other hardware-related drivers) and they (Samsung/LG/HTC/etc.) have to devote resources ($$$) to modify these layers which adds, literally months, to the update cycle.
For example, the Samsung S8 was released in April of the this year (or thereabouts) running Android 7 Nougat, Android 8 was release this August and the S8 may not see that until early NEXT year, if ever. The LG V30 just released this month and is also running Nougat and they have an even worse record of timely updates.
I had a few months of pain when I jumped over about 5 years ago and back then Android wasn't anywhere near as capable as it is now. Android and iOS are converging and I prefer Android's philosophy of openness and customization to Apple's every phone is the same model.
Until you get accustomed to the OS don't spend any time thinking about rooting (in the Apple world it's called "Jailbreaking") or unlocking the bootloader to facilitate accessing under-the-hood aspects of the OS that, as a new Android guy who is not a 'techie', you really don't need to utilize it's full potential. Forget about that for now and have fun learning the new OS.

I think one thing you may wish to do is disable imessage, as if still enabled can cause loss or delay of sms messages, other than that, go ahead and enjoy the customisation of Android :good:

S10 Customization Guide v2 [No Root]

This guide was designed for S10 series, but the majority of the Guide of course is applicable to all android Pie devices as if based on apks and adb debugging, you shall test at your own desire. For adb debugging to be enabled, go to: About Phone > built number > tap until you unlock "developers option" go back and and inside "developers options" enable "adb debugging" from there.
First and foremost, I would like to express how I am amazed with the level of customization you can do without root on a Samsung nowadays, as I've been an android/samsung user for quite some time its really something to consider.
Okay, now lets cut the chase. What I really did is to put together different applications, tips and miscellaneous information together in order to achieve what I felt the most customized Device possible without root and that I think lots of users could still absorve all or at least part of this guide in their own devices.
1) First, what I did what to go through the Battery Optimisation Guide by @Corv0, which honestly speaking led me to an average of 9-10 SoT.
1.1 Even though people talk alot how they liked OneUI I cant change from Nova Launcher, its simply the ultimate Launcher experience. I recommend getting the prime version, totally worth it and you get it for life.
1.2. If you are used to Adway, you know we can't live anymore without it, but in times without root, Blokada is for me the best alternative. I also found it better and more stable than Adhell and does not need key update every now and then, thats lame!
2)If you like music and once used Ressurection Remix roms, you must have fallen in love with Pulse music bar. It simply reinvigorates the navigation bar. As an alternative I must suggest the well known Navbar app. For me its a must to change navigation bar color and enable their music visualizer.
3) If you once used xposed in a samsung, you might remember the Samtweak, and now you can have it in Pie without the need of root with great function like 180 degrees reverse (which I find very useful when using headphone jack so it does not bother you against the chest for instance), volume warning, navigation and status bar hide, etc
4) Another must in S10 plus is to use Button Mapper. Some may talk about Bixby Action app, but Button mapper is the ultimate deal with many more options, check video link.
5) Okay this is more of a personal preference, which is my case I can say: sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. If you didn't like/ didn't get used to the front camera cutout I strongly suggest to use Status Bar and change status background color to black. I find it do the job of hiding the front camera pretty decent and improved a lot indoor and low light experience as you cant see the cutout almost never.
6) Last (so far) but not least important, if of course the installation and usage of Nice Lock (for the ones without access to Good Lock). I think we may can it as an official customization app for samsung devices. It almost made me remember Rice tweaks app. I personally like to use 7.1) Task Changer mod to change recent apps back to vertical. 7.2) Navistar to fully customize the navigation bar with different icons and 2 more buttons. The rest I didn't really use it but I suggest you install them all and see what's useful to you.
I will record a video and post it here (probably tomorrow) to show all these changes and tweaks I did and how they actually appear on my device.
------- v2 (April 26th):
Actually these are "tweaks" I had already done before v1 but simply forgot to mention on the original post however to keep things in order I will continue the numbering:
7) Bloatware removal, this is another must you have to do, specially when talking about samsung, with is known for the amount of apps its included from stock. And within this link you can easily do it through adb shell. Big thanks to @Neo3D for this amazing guide.
7.1) Once you "debloat" your device, make sure you deinstall/deactivate youtube standard version as well, and install the well known and amazing Youtube Vanced (Non Root version of course). In addition, set it as standard so it will be fully integrated to the links.
Well those are my suggestions for the customization of s10 without root (so far). If you have more tips please comment down below.

Video is up, check comment for exact cue by "tweak": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_giH6O6-Pdo

Great guide for the S10 XDA gang! Kudos

Nice guide.
Thanks
Sent from my SM-G9750 using Tapatalk

Doesn't bloat removal cause more battery drain? I mean when the phone tries to find a certain package and cannot it is starting to heat up and etc

I started out early in the process and I was able to get Adhell running .... Seems like maybe my battery was worse after Adhell. Wondering if you guys thought, based on this guide, I should get rid of Adhell and go more this direction (for ad blocking and app/bloatware freezing) ?

FlatOutRU said:
Doesn't bloat removal cause more battery drain? I mean when the phone tries to find a certain package and cannot it is starting to heat up and etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be the other way around bro...
jcrompton said:
I started out early in the process and I was able to get Adhell running .... Seems like maybe my battery was worse after Adhell. Wondering if you guys thought, based on this guide, I should get rid of Adhell and go more this direction (for ad blocking and app/bloatware freezing) ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried both and found blokada much more stable. You can try and compare yourself, its way easier to install and get it running as well.

Also, using Blokada and it works well...

Knox bloatware removal
if the s10+ com.samsung.android.knox.containercore isn't installed at 0 then how can I remove the number one bloatware I so desired to remove?

BossEgan said:
if the s10+ com.samsung.android.knox.containercore isn't installed at 0 then how can I remove the number one bloatware I so desired to remove?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search Cswm app manager (for Samsung) on play store

Good!!

Just ordered the Tab S4...any tips for a new owner?

Aside from installing Vanced youtube...I am not sure I need root anymore. Weird to say that as I was big into custom ROMs, root, overclocking my phones back in the day
Anyway, mostly using this to replace my aging original Tab S 10.5 which is now been used inside my PC to display CPU speeds, temps, etc.
It was lagging with EMBY and other things even with custom ROMs but I am glad I was able to find a new home for it to be useful.
Thanks for any feedback!

Same boat, I was really into root and other tweaks, now I'll get frustrated if I have to spend much time getting the experience I supposedly paid for. I actually just browse this forums in hopes of an update on next oneUI versions since they seem to have fixed some of the small caveats I find with the current version; sadly we are probably never going to get it though.
Anyway, the tab is beautiful and fast, and it will do most of the things you are expecting without losing a beat. To get the most out of it I would recommend getting the "good lock" apps to further personalize your experience (I wish someone told me about these before since I used the device for a month before finding them). The one hand operation(together with navigating gestures), the task changer(smaller more manageable app changer menu and initializing apps in floating mode from there), and the multistar(some nice tweaks to the floating mode like swiping from a to corner to start floating an that is already on screen) are the most useful in my perspective. I also downloaded an app called edge gestures to personalize my gesture experience even further, and an app called no keyboard because sometimes you just need to select/move/copy/paste text without the keyboard(even floating) to take any space on your screen.
Other nice apps I would recommend would be concepts(though still in development it is a nice vector based, layer-supporting drawing app), write 3.0 for general note taking(snappier stroke experience you'll get on android, and also vector based), and I cannot believe how much I have gotten into 3d sculpting and modeling with an app called nomad(is just so much fun even without knowing what you are doing).
I hope you have a great time with your tablet!

Pazzu510 said:
Same boat, I was really into root and other tweaks, now I'll get frustrated if I have to spend much time getting the experience I supposedly paid for. I actually just browse this forums in hopes of an update on next oneUI versions since they seem to have fixed some of the small caveats I find with the current version; sadly we are probably never going to get it though.
Anyway, the tab is beautiful and fast, and it will do most of the things you are expecting without losing a beat. To get the most out of it I would recommend getting the "good lock" apps to further personalize your experience (I wish someone told me about these before since I used the device for a month before finding them). The one hand operation(together with navigating gestures), the task changer(smaller more manageable app changer menu and initializing apps in floating mode from there), and the multistar(some nice tweaks to the floating mode like swiping from a to corner to start floating an that is already on screen) are the most useful in my perspective. I also downloaded an app called edge gestures to personalize my gesture experience even further, and an app called no keyboard because sometimes you just need to select/move/copy/paste text without the keyboard(even floating) to take any space on your screen.
Other nice apps I would recommend would be concepts(though still in development it is a nice vector based, layer-supporting drawing app), write 3.0 for general note taking(snappier stroke experience you'll get on android, and also vector based), and I cannot believe how much I have gotten into 3d sculpting and modeling with an app called nomad(is just so much fun even without knowing what you are doing).
I hope you have a great time with your tablet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Than you so much for the information! Mine arrives tomorrow. I will research all the apps you mentioned.

I totally agree with Pazzu510. I use my tablet a looooooot, I use it for work and for media. I'm going to recommed you to give it a try the default samunsg apps that comes with the tablet. I LOVE the file explorer, you can syncronize one note and its just perfect. The browser is awesome too, it has a lot of configurations. I use samsung notes for my college notes, but I already tried noteshelf (very good app too, but samsung works better with the spen in my opinion. Try both and use whatever you like more) Xodo, to annotate on pdf or just open them its just a must have. It has a very good integration with the spen, onenote, etc, and you can have mutiple pdfs open.
I recommend you to set the battery limitation to 85% to protect it. And take a time and configure the energy app administration settings to bring you the best experience.
I'm very very happy with my tablet and I hope you the same!!

InsertCoin_Pls said:
I totally agree with Pazzu510. I use my tablet a looooooot, I use it for work and for media. I'm going to recommed you to give it a try the default samunsg apps that comes with the tablet. I LOVE the file explorer, you can syncronize one note and its just perfect. The browser is awesome too, it has a lot of configurations. I use samsung notes for my college notes, but I already tried noteshelf (very good app too, but samsung works better with the spen in my opinion. Try both and use whatever you like more) Xodo, to annotate on pdf or just open them its just a must have. It has a very good integration with the spen, onenote, etc, and you can have mutiple pdfs open.
I recommend you to set the battery limitation to 85% to protect it. And take a time and configure the energy app administration settings to bring you the best experience.
I'm very very happy with my tablet and I hope you the same!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much. It is on the UPS delivery truck and should be here in the next 3 hours or so. Really pumped to finally upgrade from the old S 10.5
Thanks for the tips!

The tablet is fantastic so far. Just trying to figure out which case style I prefer now. Probably will end up with like 4 cases at least.
The one disappointment was the sound...with the 4 speakers "tuned by akg" I was expecting more. My Mate 20x actually sounds better (which I know is highly regarded for sound but still). Luckily speaker usage is not crucial for me.

shaolin95 said:
The tablet is fantastic so far. Just trying to figure out which case style I prefer now. Probably will end up with like 4 cases at least.
The one disappointment was the sound...with the 4 speakers "tuned by akg" I was expecting more. My Mate 20x actually sounds better (which I know is highly regarded for sound but still). Luckily speaker usage is not crucial for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes,I agree it is very good Tablet
_ I have T830 andoid 10, without root ... I'm using only Vanced Tube, I have removed enough bloatware, and I'm using " Nicelock downloader companion" & some modules for my device.These, I think are enough for this device...
( Nicelock downloader companion thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...p-v2-16-manual-download-links-thread.3923844/
_ (there is also a module for "audio - sound utility" ) : https://sites.google.com/view/nicelockdownloader/
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...2020-launcher-w-update-notifications.3908648/ )
_ How to Remove bloatware without Root, for free : https://beebom.com/how-remove-bloatware-android-without-root/

daitalos said:
Yes,I agree it is very good Tablet
_ I have T830 andoid 10, without root ... I'm using only Vanced Tube, I have removed enough bloatware, and I'm using " Nicelock downloader companion" & some modules for my device.These, I think are enough for this device...
( Nicelock downloader companion thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...p-v2-16-manual-download-links-thread.3923844/
_ (there is also a module for "audio - sound utility" ) : https://sites.google.com/view/nicelockdownloader/
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...2020-launcher-w-update-notifications.3908648/ )
_ How to Remove bloatware without Root, for free : https://beebom.com/how-remove-bloatware-android-without-root/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information and the link, really appreciated it!!

shaolin95 said:
Aside from installing Vanced youtube...I am not sure I need root anymore. Weird to say that as I was big into custom ROMs, root, overclocking my phones back in the day
Anyway, mostly using this to replace my aging original Tab S 10.5 which is now been used inside my PC to display CPU speeds, temps, etc.
It was lagging with EMBY and other things even with custom ROMs but I am glad I was able to find a new home for it to be useful.
Thanks for any feedback!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the same thing. Almost a year later and still no android 11 with the sm-t837T. So that's pretty much my reason for wanting root. Lineage os! I've yet to root this tablet. Wonder is dex is gone it you flash a custom rom

General One month down the line ... finally love my P6P

Well, there has been some ranting here on this forum about the P6P.
I received my P6P on November 2.
I had never owned a Pixel, was looking forward to it (totally hyped up by Google's clever marketing ... yes I admit it).
I used rooted devices for the past 5 years or so, but initially decided not to root my P6P.
I thought I could get used to no-root ...
The first 2 weeks I was quite disappointed ...
a) FPS unreliable
b) Android 12's weird 'internet' quick tile
c) Non-root adblocking with Adaway ... yes ... sorta works but sometimes VPN turned off (never figured out why)
d) Bit of 'bloatware' ... some stuff which I don't use ... could disable it (yes, even non-rooted) through 'App Freezer'
e) No dark mode for non Google apps ... well, sorta ... you can turn it on in developer settings but reverts after reboot
f) Weird screen 'flashes' when using Nova (returning from an app into Nova desktop)
g) Missed screen touches (again when returning form an app into Nova desktop, then quickly tapping an icon -> touch was 'lost')
h) No VoLTE
i) Missing APN (well, you can modify them via settings of course)
I came from a OnePlus 8 pro (nice phone BTW) ... had promised it to my wife ... so could not really go back ;-( ...
There was a moment when I wanted to return my P6P ...
Someone here on one of the threads said: "You will learn to love your Pixel"
Hmm ... hmm ... was sceptical ...
Then things started changing:
I decided to root ... couldn't stand it ... ;-)
Slightly frustrating because after rooting my upgrade to .37 did not retain data (I probably ****ed up somewhere).
a) FPS got a lot better (I guess some changes in .37), especially when fingerprints were re-registered
b) Found a solution to go back to the old 'wifi' and 'cell' tiles
c) Rooted ad-blocking through hosts file
d) 'bloatware' completely hidden (my own magisk module)
e) Enable dark mode at boot time (my own magisk module) [only Strava app is still 'white' ... well ... OK]
f+g) Combination of: navbar buttons + FNG gestures + hide navbar (fabricateoverlay) => got rid of weird screen flashes and missed screen touches (lo and behold)
h) Achieved VoLTE through my own magisk module (patching props + adding some stuff to /data/user_de/0/com.android.phone/files/carrierconfit-XYZ.xml to get proper 4G and 4G+ icons in statusbar)
i) Edited /product/etc/CarrierSettings/others.pb to add proper APN settings (mounting through my own magisk module)
So ... now we are 1.5 months down the line ... and I actually 'love' my P6P now ;-)
Next challenge ... upgrade next week to December update ... keeping root and /data ...
But most importantly: wife is very happy with her OnePlus 8 pro !
Happy wife ... happy life ...

foobar66 said:
(totally hyped up by Google's clever marketing ... yes I admit it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually found their advertising to be extremely offputting. It very nearly convinced me to just stick with Nexus 6 indefinitely. Your choice in phone is not relevant to social consciousness, it is a tool to do a job.

Well ... it was not all marketing hype to be honest ;-)
After years of several OnePlus devices, it was becoming clear that OnePlus was going to loose a lot of their original appeal. OxygenOS was always better than stock android with a clean look and a bunch of really useful addons and customizations. Easy rooting and a big development community always made me go back to OnePlus. And the Pixels 1-5 generations always had things that made me not buy them (slightly enforced by the fact that Google does not sell in my country).
But the latest OxygenOS builds especially since Android 11 started to look more and more like Sammy. But after Galaxy S2/S4/S6/S8, I had more than enough of Sammy.
The OnePlus consolidation with Oppo and them moving into ColorOS made me decide to go away from OnePlus. Really sad as they had a unique position for many years: very good hardware, stock android with the addons/customizations that actually make sense and a huge dev community.
The P6P was marketed to be the first flagship Pixel so this time I decided to give it a go. I don't regret it (as I said in OP) but especially the first 2 weeks caused quite a lot of doubt.

foobar66 said:
Well ... it was not all marketing hype to be honest ;-)
After years of several OnePlus devices, it was becoming clear that OnePlus was going to loose a lot of their original appeal. OxygenOS was always better than stock android with a clean look and a bunch of really useful addons and customizations. Easy rooting and a big development community always made me go back to OnePlus. And the Pixels 1-5 generations always had things that made me not buy them (slightly enforced by the fact that Google does not sell in my country).
But the latest OxygenOS builds especially since Android 11 started to look more and more like Sammy.
The OnePlus consolidation with Oppo and them moving into ColorOS made me decide to go away from OnePlus. Really sad as they had a unique position for many years: very good hardware, stock android with the addons/customizations that actually make sense and a huge dev community.
The P6P was marketed to be the first flagship Pixel so this time I decided to give it a go. I don't regret it (as I said in OP) but especially the first 2 weeks caused quite a lot of doubt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel's were *always* marketed as "top end", except the "-A" versions and the "5".

foobar66 said:
Well, there has been some ranting here on this forum about the P6P.
I received my P6P on November 2.
I had never owned a Pixel, was looking forward to it (totally hyped up by Google's clever marketing ... yes I admit it).
I used rooted devices for the past 5 years or so, but initially decided not to root my P6P.
I thought I could get used to no-root ...
The first 2 weeks I was quite disappointed ...
a) FPS unreliable
b) Android 12's weird 'internet' quick tile
c) Non-root adblocking with Adaway ... yes ... sorta works but sometimes VPN turned off (never figured out why)
d) Bit of 'bloatware' ... some stuff which I don't use ... could disable it (yes, even non-rooted) through 'App Freezer'
e) No dark mode for non Google apps ... well, sorta ... you can turn it on in developer settings but reverts after reboot
f) Weird screen 'flashes' when using Nova (returning from an app into Nova desktop)
g) Missed screen touches (again when returning form an app into Nova desktop, then quickly tapping an icon -> touch was 'lost')
h) No VoLTE
i) Missing APN (well, you can modify them via settings of course)
I came from a OnePlus 8 pro (nice phone BTW) ... had promised it to my wife ... so could not really go back ;-( ...
There was a moment when I wanted to return my P6P ...
Someone here on one of the threads said: "You will learn to love your Pixel"
Hmm ... hmm ... was sceptical ...
Then things started changing:
I decided to root ... couldn't stand it ... ;-)
Slightly frustrating because after rooting my upgrade to .37 did not retain data (I probably ****ed up somewhere).
a) FPS got a lot better (I guess some changes in .37), especially when fingerprints were re-registered
b) Found a solution to go back to the old 'wifi' and 'cell' tiles
c) Rooted ad-blocking through hosts file
d) 'bloatware' completely hidden (my own magisk module)
e) Enable dark mode at boot time (my own magisk module) [only Strava app is still 'white' ... well ... OK]
f+g) Combination of: navbar buttons + FNG gestures + hide navbar (fabricateoverlay) => got rid of weird screen flashes and missed screen touches (lo and behold)
h) Achieved VoLTE through my own magisk module (patching props + adding some stuff to /data/user_de/0/com.android.phone/files/carrierconfit-XYZ.xml to get proper 4G and 4G+ icons in statusbar)
i) Edited /product/etc/CarrierSettings/others.pb to add proper APN settings (mounting through my own magisk module)
So ... now we are 1.5 months down the line ... and I actually 'love' my P6P now ;-)
Next challenge ... upgrade next week to December update ... keeping root and /data ...
But most importantly: wife is very happy with her OnePlus 8 pro !
Happy wife ... happy life ...
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I love this! I assume the previous phone you owned goes to the wife. You always get the upgrade? This is exactly how it goes with me as well. Wife has the pixel 3xl I got the p6 pro. Wife loves her upgrade from the s7edge.(was once mine as well). Oh and I also have a daughter with whom I've also given phones so I can upgrade....great thing I've got going actually.

wulfgarfang said:
I love this! I assume the previous phone you owned goes to the wife. You always get the upgrade? This is exactly how it goes with me as well. Wife has the pixel 3xl I got the p6 pro. Wife loves her upgrade from the s7edge.(was once mine as well). Oh and I also have a daughter with whom I've also given phones so I can upgrade....great thing I've got going actually.
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Yes, wife got the OnePlus8 pro ... she is happy but cares a lot less about phones than I do ... lol ... ;-)

foobar66 said:
Yes, wife got the OnePlus8 pro ... she is happy but cares a lot less about phones than I do ... lol ... ;-)
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I traded in my OnePlus8Pro and kept my OnePlus 9 Pro for now. But it does seem 1+ is headed down the wrong path lately. 1+ 12 stable is as buggy as a rainforest!

@foobar66 Where can we find these mods you have made?
Also do you use banking apps?

dilruk said:
@foobar66 Where can we find these mods you have made?
Also do you use banking apps?
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Yes

dilruk said:
@foobar66 Where can we find these mods you have made?
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Search is your friend.

foobar66 said:
Search is your friend.
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Not as much as I need

Patience is definitely a virtue with this badboy device....

Just got my 6Pro yesterday, but my OP8Pro is right by my side. I do miss the physical button for Sound>Vibrate>Silent, and I miss being able to swap back and recent nav buttons, and the double-tap back button for notifications. If I can find solutions for these 3 things, I think I'll keep the 6Pro. If not, a loyal OnePlus user I'll be!

bradhoschar said:
Just got my 6Pro yesterday, but my OP8Pro is right by my side. I do miss the physical button for Sound>Vibrate>Silent, and I miss being able to swap back and recent nav buttons, and the double-tap back button for notifications. If I can find solutions for these 3 things, I think I'll keep the 6Pro. If not, a loyal OnePlus user I'll be!
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For your 3rd one
Settings -> System -> Gestures -> Quick Tap. Turn it on and select Show notifications.

Forgot to mention 1 point in |OP|:
I use Substratum 'Swift Dark' to have overlays for Whatsapp/Instagram/Twitter giving them same color scheme as the Google apps in 'dark mode'.

foobar66 said:
i) Missing APN (well, you can modify them via settings of course)
i) Edited /product/etc/CarrierSettings/others.pb to add proper APN settings (mounting through my own magisk module)
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Hi, you mentioned missing APN and then adding it in others.pb, what exactly was not working correctly when APN was missing ?
And about others.pb, I read on another thread about how you edited this, do you think it's possible to add the missing VoLTE settings for my carrier into others.pb, overwriting it with magisk and then VoLTE being automatically activated, without the need to edit "/data/user_de/0/com.android.phone/carrierconfig-com.google.android.carrier-xyz.xml" ?

foobar66 said:
d) Bit of 'bloatware' ... some stuff which I don't use ... could disable it (yes, even non-rooted) through 'App Freezer'
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foobar66 said:
d) 'bloatware' completely hidden (my own magisk module)
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So also rooted and use De-Bloat from F-Droid. Any other opinions on using this one vs Magisk modules and such? So far this seems to work nicely.